The Team of Choice will eye a place in the semi-finals as they lock horns with the Students at home in the TKO

Bidvest Wits will look to continue their defence of their Telkom Knockout title as they travel to Pietermaritzburg to take on an unpredictable Maritzburg United.

The Students are currently top of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) table and have won two of their last three league games. But as always with the Cup, the form book goes out the window, which could come as a nice distraction for the Team of Choice’s players, who have failed to hit the lofty heights of last season.

Fadlu Davids’ men have won only two of their last five games, but after overcoming Highlands Park in the previous round of the TKO, they will be eager to build on that performance.

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Both sides go into the game well-rested. Wits in particular will rely on Scottish striker Simon Murray for goals. The forward is currently the club’s top scorer in the league with three goals, and after opening his Cup account in the win over Free State Stars, he will certainly be a player to watch.

Wits have conceded just four goals this season and Hunt is likely to maintain a similar starting XI to the side which beat Highlands Park in the league. Thulani Hlatshwayo will once again be expected to marshal the defence and he has proven that he is just as good upfront as he is at the back having scored two goals in the league.

The Clever Boys though, will be without Gabadinho Mhango, who is reportedly on trial with Portuguese outfit Vitoria Setubal.

Meanwhile, Maritzburg have struggled for goals this season as they have netted just twice in eight league games. But the home side will take some solace knowing that they were able to put two goals past the Lions of the North in the last round of the TKO.

Maritzburg head into the game fresh of a defeat to Polokwane City, and this could see the technical team look to make changes. Andrea Fileccia started the previous game on the bench and Davids may look to rope him in alongside Yannick Zakri, who has had a rather quiet start to life in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Saturday’s clash will be the 24th meeting between the two sides in all competitions, and a worrying statistic for Maritzburg is the fact that they have only ever beaten the Students on three occasions.

But while there have been nine previous draws with the last meeting between the two sides ending goalless, this time around there will have to be a winner as a place in the semi-finals is at stake.